China issues safety standards for Li-ion battery production

China's initiative to promote a healthy and sustainable Li-ion battery sector yields a first-of-its-kind set of industry standards.

To maintain a high speed of innovation in the Li-ion battery industry, the China Industrial Association of Power Sources released a set of safety standards drafted and finalized in cooperation with representative enterprises and production safety experts.

This is amid launches of mobile phone batteries every year, the increasing requirements for electric car battery energy density, the advent of new materials and improved technology, and the rising number of companies joining the industry. Since 2016, there have been a series of accidents that caused huge losses in personnel and property due to the lack of accurate and effective reference standards. While not in itself a high-risk industry, the levels of security in technology and management is not the same across enterprises. Some manufacturers cannot fully identify current and new production risks.

Implemented beginning January 2018, the standards apply to new, rebuilt and expanded manufacturing facilities. The basic requirements tackle building and production process safety specifications, battery testing and four normative appendixes. They cover safety, fire control and occupational health evaluation and other aspects, without reference to international standards, being a first on safe Li-ion battery production and testing.

The innovation points are:

First, a comprehensive and scientific identification of typical safety hazards existing in the Li-ion battery industry is made. This includes the formation of gas or gas explosion, aging and injection process, the risk of metal dust explosion by laser welding, and the risk of gas burning and explosion by cathodic coating electric heaters. The method is listed and will be the scientific basis for identification in future technologies and materials.

Second, the implementation of active measures to achieve security and safety is recommended. This spans full use of petroleum and chemical industry standards of mature ventilation for risk reduction, and adoption of explosionproof equipment. Inadequate measures are defined as well to help recognize issues that require attention.

Third, scientific safety classification and priority classification are instituted toward the realization of security and applicable sustainable development. Factory warehouses are divided into A, B, C, D and E. Warehouses A and B need to be multistory buildings with the two grades of fire resistance class. The area of fire protection zone in warehouse C is 4,000sqm, while warehouses D and E have no such space limit. The D and E categories embody the development trend for large power battery workshops with multiple equipment for improved layout flexibility.

Convening parties

The China Industrial Association of Power Sources invited 28 key Li-ion battery manufacturers and related institutionsto form a standard working group. After data collection, deliberations and a series of drafts that began in April 2016, the group announced the standards in December 2017.

Led by Tianjin Lishen Battery Joint-Stock Co. Ltd, the deputies include Sunwoda Electronic Co. Ltd, BYD Co. Ltd, Suzhou YouLion Battery Inc., China Aviation Lithium Battery Co. Ltd, Shenzhen BAK Power Battery Co. Ltd, Tianjin EV Energies Co. Ltd and EVE Energy Co. Ltd.

The members include CATL, Jiangsu Highstar Battery Mfg Co. Ltd, Highpower International Inc., Huizhou Highpower Technology Co. Ltd, Microvast Power Systems Co. Ltd, Dongguan Tafel New Energy Technology Co. Ltd, Do-Fluoride Chemicals Co. Ltd, Camel Group Co. Ltd, DLG Power Battery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Zhejiang Narada Power Source Co. Ltd, Guangzhou MCM Certification & Testing Co. Ltd, Mcnair Technology Co. Ltd, Beijing National Battery, Optimumnano Energy Co. Ltd, Guangzhou Great Power Energy & Technology Co. Ltd, College of New Materials, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Hefei Guoxuan High-Tech Power Energy, Shenzhen Priesseth Testing Technology Co. Ltd, Shenzhen National Security Production Research Institute, and Dapeng Branch of Shenzhen Public Security Bureau.